单选题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}} Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. It is often observed that the aged spend much time thinking and talking about their past lives, rather than about the future. These reminiscences are not simply random or trivial memories,{{U}} (1) {{/U}}is their purpose merely to make conversation. The old person's recollections of the past help to{{U}} (2) {{/U}}an identity that is becoming increasingly fragile:{{U}} (3) {{/U}} any role that brings respect or any goal that might provide{{U}} (4) {{/U}}to the future, the individual mentions their{{U}} (5) {{/U}}as a reminder to listeners, that here was a life{{U}} (6) {{/U}}living. {{U}}(7) {{/U}}, the memories form part of a continuing life{{U}} (8) {{/U}}, in which the old person{{U}} (9) {{/U}}the events and experiences of the years gone by and{{U}} (10) {{/U}}on the overall meaning of his or her own almost completed life. As the life cycle {{U}}(11) {{/U}}to its close, the aged must also learn to accept the reality of their own impending death. {{U}}(12) {{/U}}this task is made difficult by the fact that death is almost a{{U}} (13) {{/U}}subject in the United States. The mere discussion of death is often regarded as {{U}}(14) {{/U}} As adults, many of us find the topic frightening and are{{U}} (15) {{/U}}to think about it and certainly not to talk about it{{U}} (16) {{/U}}the presence of someone who is dying. Death has achieved this taboo{{U}} (17) {{/U}}only in the modern industrial societies. There seems to be an important reason for our reluctance to{{U}} (18) {{/U}}the idea of death; It is the very fact that death remains{{U}} (19) {{/U}}our control; it is almost the only one of the natural processes{{U}} (20) {{/U}}is so. {{B}}Notes:{{/B}} reminiscence n. 回忆 fragile adj. 脆弱的。impending adj. 即将发生的。

单选题Adults’ motivational cognition may be stimulated by

单选题Advertising is a form of selling. For thousands of years there have been individuals who have tried to (1) others to buy the food they have produced or the goods they have made or the services they can (2) . But in the 19th century the mass production of goods (3) the Industrial Revolution made person-to-person selling inefficient. The mass distribution of goods that (4) the development of the highway made person-to-person selling (5) slow and expensive. At the same time, mass communication, first newspapers and magazines, (6) radio and television, made mass selling through (7) possible. The objective of any advertisement is to convince people that it is in their best (8) to take the action the advertiser is recommending. The action (9) be to purchase a product, use a service, vote for a political candidate, or (10) to join the Army. Advertising as a (11) developed first and most rapidly in the United States, the country that uses it to the greatest (12) . In 1980 advertising expenditure in the U.S. exceeded 55 billion dollars, or (13) 2 percent of the gross national product. Canada spent about 1.2 percent of its gross national product (14) advertising. (15) advertising brings the economies of mass selling to the manufacturer, it (16) benefits for the consumer (17) . Some of those economies are passed along to the purchaser so that the cost of a product sold primarily through advertising is usually far (18) than one sold through personal salespeople. Advertising (19) people immediate news about products that have just come on the market. Finally, advertising (20) for the programs on commercial television and radio and for about two thirds of the cost of publishing magazines and newspapers.

单选题These are tough times for Wal-Mart, America's biggest retailer. Long accused of (1) small-town America mad condemned for the selfishness of its pay, the company has lately come under (2) for its meanness over employees' health-care benefits. The charge is arguably (3) : the firm's health coverage, while (4) less extensive than the average for big companies, is on equal terms (5) other retailers'. But bad publicity, coupled with rising costs, has (6) the Bentonville giant to action. WalMart is making changes that should shift the ground in America's healthcare debate. One (7) is to reduce the prices of many generic, or out-of-patent, prescription drugs. Wal-Mart's critics dismiss the move as a publicity (8) . The list of drugs includes only 143 different medicines and excludes many popular group. True, but short-sighted. Wal-Mart has (9) retailing by using its size to squeeze suppliers and (10) the gains on to consumers. It could (11) the same with drugs. A "Wal-Mart effect" in drugs will not solve America's health-costs problem: group account for only a small share of drug costs, which in turn make (12) only 10% of overall health spending. But it would (13) . The firm's other initiative is more (14) . Wal-Mart is joining the small but fast-growing group of employers (15) are controlling costs by shifting to health insurance with high deductibles. Early evidence (16) these plans do help firms control the cost of health insurance. But critics say that the savings are (17) . They argue that the plans shift costs to sicker workers, discourage preventative care and will anyway do little to (18) overall health spending, (19) most of the $2 trillion that America (20) health care each year goes to people with multiple chronic diseases.

单选题This passage chiefly discusses ______.

单选题It was inevitable that any of President George W. Bush's fans had to be very disappointed by his decision to implement high tariffs on steel imported to the U.S. The president's defense was pathetic: He argued that the steel tariffs were somehow consistent with free trade, that the domestic industry was important and struggling, and that the relief was a temporary measure to allow time for restructuring. One reason that this argument is absurd is that U. S. integrated steel companies ("Big Steel") have received various forms of government protection and subsidy for more than 30 years. Instead of encouraging the industry to restructure, the long-term protection has sustained inefficient companies and cost U.S. consumers dearly. As Anne O. Krueger, now deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said in a report on Big Steel: "The American Big Steel industry has been the champion lobbyist and seeker of protection .... It provides a key and disillusioning example of the ability to lobby in Washington for measures which hurt the general public and help a very small group." Since 1950s, Big Steel has been reluctant to make the investments needed to match the new technologies introduced elsewhere. It agreed to high wages for its unionized labor force. Hence, the companies have difficulty in competing not only with more efficient producers in Asia and Europe but also with technologically advanced U. S. mini-mills, which rely on scrap metal as an input. Led by Nucor Cor. , these mills now capture about half of overall U. S. sales. The profitability of U. S. steel companies depends also on steel prices, which, despite attempts at protection by the U.S. and other governments, are determined primarily in world markets. These prices are relatively high as recently as early 2000 but have since declined with the world recession to reach the lowest dollar values of the last 20 years. Although these low prices are unfortunate for U.S. producers, they are beneficial for the overall U. S. economy. The low prices are also signal that the inefficient Big Steel companies should go out of business even faster than they have been. Instead of leaving or modernizing, the dying Big Steel industry complains that foreigners dump steels by selling at low prices. However, it is hard to see why it is bad for the overall U.S. economy if foreign producers wish to sell us their goods at low prices. After all, the extreme case of dumping is one where foreigners give us their steel for free and why would that be a bad thing?

单选题{{B}}Text 4{{/B}} In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the inadequacies of the judicial system in the United States. Costs are staggering both for the taxpayers and the litigants—and the litigants, or parties, have to wait sometimes many years before having their day in court. Many suggestions have been made concerning methods of ameliorating the situation, but as in most branches of government, changes come slowly. One suggestion that has been made in order to maximize the efficiency of the system is to allow districts that have an overabundance of pending cases to borrow judges from other districts that do not have such a backlog. Another suggestion is to use pretrial conferences, in which thejudge meets in his chambers with the litigants and their attorneys in order to narrow the issues, limit the witnesses, and provide for a more orderly trial. The theory behind pretrial conferences is that judges will spend leas time on each case and parties will more readily settle before trial when they realize the adequacy of their claims and their opponents' evidence. Unfortunately, at least one study has shown that pretrial conferences actually use more judicial time than they save, rarely result in pretrial settlements, and actually result in higher damage settlements. Many states have now established another method, small-claims courts, in which cases over small sums of money can be disposed of with considerable dispatch. Such proceedings cost the litigants almost nothing. In California, for example, the parties must appear before the judge without the assistance of counsel. The proceedings are quite informal and there is no pleading—the litigants need to make only a one-sentence statement of their claim. By going to this type of court, the plaintiff waives any right to a jury trial and the right to appeal the decision. In coming years, we can expect to see more and more innovations in the continuing effort to remedy a situation which must be remedied if the citizens who have valid claims are going to be able to have their day in court.

单选题Valentine's Day may come from the ancient Roman feast of Luperealia. (1) the fierce wolves roamed nearby, the old Romans called (2) the god Lupereus to help them. A festival in his (3) was held February 15th. On the eve of the festival the (4) of the girls were written on (5) paper and placed in jars. Each young man (6) a slip. The girl whose name was (7) was to be his sweetheart for the year. Legend (8) it that the holiday became Valentine's Day (9) a roman priest named Valentine. Emperor Claudius II (10) the Roman soldiers not to marry or become engaged. Claudius felt married soldiers would (11) stay home than fight. When Valentine (12) the Emperor and secretly married the young couples, he was put to death on February 14th, the (13) of Lupercalia. After his death, Valentine became a (14) . Christian priests moved the holiday from the 15th to the 14th---Valentine's Day. Now the holiday honors Valentine (15) of Lupercus. Valentine's Day has become a major (16) of love and romance in the modem world. The ancient god Cupid and his (17) into a lover's heart may still be used to (18) falling in love or being in love. But we also use cards and gifts, such as flowers Or jewelry, to do this. (19) to give flower to a wife or sweetheart on Valentine's Day can sometimes be as (20) as forgetting a birthday or a wedding anniversary.

单选题What does "First Nations" refer to?

单选题In Paris, a popular new bike rental program called Velib (a slang combination of the French words velo, for bike, and liberty, for liberty) was introduced. (1) The bikes, which are available from over 1,421 stations around the city, can be rented on a half-hourly basis (1 euro for the first half hour and 2 euros for the second half hour) or people can pay 29 euros for an entire year of bike riding. Riders can pick up the bike at one station and return it to any of the other stations scattered approximately 300 meters apart around the city. This system is meant to encourage riders to use the bikes as they would be a car or public transport. The ultimate goal, of course, is to reduce pollution in the city. But the mayor has also said that he likes the idea of Parisians and tourists alike enjoying the city by bicycle. The bike program—which started in Lyon—has become extremely popular with Parisians of all ages. Although riders must be at least 14 years old and 1.5 meters tall, these restrictions have not stopped teenagers from using the bikes to go out at night. "You can ride them home after a party, when the metro (the subway system in Paris) is closed," explained Agathe Deschamps, 14, who uses Velib to get to school sometimes. In fact, the Velib is so popular that enthusiasts often have to visit two or three stations before finding an available bike. At a recent dinner party, one guest excused herself for arriving so late because she couldn"t find a Velib. Although helmets (头盔) are not required by French law, they are strongly recommended and rides of the road are spelled out on the Velib website. An increase in bicycle-related accidents has been inevitable despite the addition of some 371 kilometers of bike paths in the city. (2)And some riders complain that the pearl gray bikes, which feature baskets and rear lights that turn on automatically when the bike moves, do not have rear-view mirrors. After all, the city plans to have over 20,600 bikes circulating by December.

单选题The media can impact current events. As a graduate student at Berkeley in the 1960s,I remember experiencing the events related to the People's Park that were occurring on campus. Some of these events were given national media coverage in the press and on TV. I found it interesting to compare my impressions of what was going on with perceptions obtained from the news media. I could begin to see events of that time feed on news coverage. This also provided me with some healthy insights into the distinctions between these realities. Electronic media are having a greater impact on the people's lives every day. People gather more and more of their impressions from representations. Television and telephone communications are linking people to a global village, or what one writer calls the electronic city. Consider the information that television brings into your home every day. Consider also the contract you have with others simply by using telephone. These media extend your consciousness and your contact. For example, the video coverage of the 1989 San Francisco earthquake focused on "live action" such as the fires or the rescue efforts. This gave the viewer the impression of total disaster. Television coverage of the Iraqi War also developed an immediacy. CNN reported events as they happened. This coverage was distributed worldwide. Although most people were far away from these events, they developed some perception of these realities. In 1992, many people watched in horror as riots broke out on a sad Wednesday evening in Los Angeles, seemingly fed by video coverage from helicopters. This event was triggered by the verdict in the Rodney King beating. We are now in an age where the public can have access to information that enables it to make its own judgements, and most people, who had seen the video of this beating, could not understand how the jury was able to acquit the policemen involved. Media coverage of events as they occur also provides powerful feedback that influences events. This can have harmful results, as it seemed on that Wednesday night in Los Angeles. By Friday night the public got to see Rodney King on television pleading, "Can we all get along?" By Saturday, television seemed to provide positive feedback as the Los Angeles riot turned out into a rally for peace. The television showed thousands of people marching with banners and cleaning tools. Because of that, many more people turned out to join the peaceful event they saw unfolding on television. The real healing, of course, will take much longer, but electronic media will continue to be a part of that process.

单选题Bernard Bailyn has recently reinterpreted the early history of the United States by applying new social research findings on the experiences of European migrants. In his reinterpretation, migration becomes the organizing principle for rewriting the history of pre-industrial North America. His approach rests on four separate propositions. The first of these asserts that residents of early modern England moved regularly about their countryside.- migrating to the New World was simply a "natural spillover". Although at first the colonies held little positive attraction for the English they would rather have stayed home--by the eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to America because they regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly, Bailyn holds that, contrary to the notion that used to flourish in American history textbooks, there was never a typical New World community. For example, the economic and demographic character of early New England towns varied considerably. Bailyn's third proposition suggests two general patterns prevailing among the many thousands of migrants: one group came as indentured servants, another came to acquire land. Surprisingly, Bailyn suggests that those who recruited indentured servants were driving forces of transatlantic migration, These colonial entrepreneurs helped determine the social character of people who came to pre-industrial North America. At first, thousands of unskilled laborers were recruited: by the 1730's, however, American employers demanded skilled workers. Finally, Bailyn argues that the colonies were a half-civilized hinterland of the European culture system. He is undoubtedly correct to insist that the colonies were part of the Anglo-American empire. But to divide the empire into English core and colonial periphery, as Bailyn does, devalues the achievements of colonial culture. It is true, as Bailyn claims, that high culture in the colonies never matched that in England. But what of seventeenth-century New England, where the settlers created effective laws, built a distinguished university, and published books? Bailyn might respond that New England was exceptional. However, the ideas and institutions developed by New England Puritans had powerful effects on North American culture. Although Bailyn goes on to apply his approach to some thousands of indentured servants who migrated just prior to the revolution, he fails to link their experience with the political development of the United States. Evidence presented in his work suggests how we might make such a connection. These indentured servants were treated as slaves for the period during which they had sold their time to American employers. It is not surprising that as soon as they served their time they gave up good wages in the cities and headed west to ensure their personal independence by acquiring land. Thus, it is in the west that a peculiarly American political culture began, among colonists who were suspicious of authority and intensely anti-aristocratic.

单选题All of us must be educated to understand or realize that______.